Chaye Sara Efron and 400 and the power of the evil eye

 Avraham Avinu has gone through this gut-wrenching test ofthe Akeyda and he returns home to his life long partner Sarah Imeynu and discovers that in his absence, she has passed away. Although Hashem promised him the entire land, at this moment, he does not even have a 20 square foot plot to bury his wife. He approaches the locals and asks for permission topurchase the cave of Machpela.   Midrashim tell us that he discovered earlier that thiswas the burial place of Adam and Chava and had some spiritual portal connectingthe worlds.   Efron makes an empty offer of giving it to Abraham at nocharge and then continues, 'My Lord, heed me! Land worth four hundred silvershekels, between me and you - what is it? Bury your dead.' Our rabbis explainthat this was an exorbitant price. Still the pasuk continues ….   וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע אַבְרָהָם֮ אֶל־עֶפְרוֹן֒ וַיִּשְׁקֹ֤לאַבְרָהָם֙ לְעֶפְרֹ֔ן אֶת־הַכֶּ֕סֶף אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבֶּ֖ר בְּאׇזְנֵ֣י בְנֵי־חֵ֑תאַרְבַּ֤ע מֵאוֹת֙ שֶׁ֣קֶל כֶּ֔סֶף עֹבֵ֖ר לַסֹּחֵֽר׃   Abraham accepted Ephron’s terms. Abraham paid out toEphron the money that he had named in the ears of the Hittites—four hundredshekels of silver at the going merchants’ rate.  Baal HaTurim: לעפרן חסר בגימטריא עין רע.    Kli Yakar     The name עפרן is missing a 'ו'. The Ba'al Haturim explainsthat he had an evil eye, and the name of עפרן without a 'ו' adds in gematria toר״ע עי״ן (evil eye). The reason for this comes from a statement in Bava Batra (9B) which states thatwhoever gives a coin to a poor person is blessed with 6 blessings, and whoeveris stingy with the poor is not blessed with these 6 blessings. It is for thisreason that Efron lost his 'ו' (which has the numerical value of 6) - as he wasstingy, he lost 6 blessings.   Our sages also tell us (Sotah36B) that we give the glass of blessing to a generous spirit, as the versestates טוב עין הוא יבורך (with a 'ו') - Don't read 'he is blessed', but rather'he will bless'.   Both the literal reading and the way it is read are true -someone who blesses others generously will be blessed with the six blessings(as depicted by the 'ו' in יבורך).  Furthermore, know that the numerical value of רע עין = 400.   We find 400 in 4 different places specifically with regardsto stingy people. The first is Efron who was stingy and therefore took 400Silver shekels.   The second place relates to the brothers of Joseph had a badview of Josef the righteous and they were jealous of him because of the coat ofmany colours. The result of this was that the Jewish people were exiled for 400years as strangers, affliction and servitude.   The third place relates to Esau who had a bad view of hisbrothers, and he was jealous of him because of the blessings which Isaacblessed Jacob. It is for this reason that Jacob placed a space between eachflock to fill the eyes of that evil man (that was to be given to Esau), becausehe came with 400 men.   The fourth place relates to Naval, because he was a stingyman. It was for this reason that David approached him with 400 men.